SANDOVAL COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – Around 7pm on Friday night, the Sandoval County, New Mexico Fire Department got a call from 911 about a man who was waving a flashlight on the side of road. He was a father whose two kids were stuck in a precarious position in a truck at the bottom of a forty foot cliff.

“The dad was able to climb out of the vehicle and decided to climb out of the ravine after being down there for quite some time,” said James Maxon, Sandoval County Fire Chief.

It all happened off of Highway 550 between Cuba and Bernalillo.

“The driver of the vehicle was from out of state and it was very cold, and we did have a little bit of snow at a the time and he made a sharp turn and that’s how ended up down in the ravine,” said Maxon.

The first to arrive on scene was the Cuba Fire Department but that wasn’t enough. Crews from Sandoval County Fire Department, Rio Rancho Fire & Rescue and the Regional Technical Team all chipped in.

While it was rescue crews who saved his sons, first responders credit the dad with letting them know his family needed help in the first place.

“The father was able to climb out of the ravine, which was a miracle and was able to get help,” said Maxon.

The father and his two sons were taken to a Rio Rancho hospital. Maxon says they’ll be ok. The truck is still at the bottom of the cliff. The Sandoval County Fire Department says it’ll need a crane to get it out.